Automatic carrying system

ABSTRACT

An automatic carrying system for carrying loads from any place to any location along particular formed rails provided with power supply lines. This system includes an automatic carrying apparatus adapted to run on the rail with loads to be conveyed, a section control apparatus for controlling the operation of the carrying apparatus so as not to permit the successive carrying apparatus to collide each other, a branching and joining apparatus for the carrying apparatus, a turnable directioning apparatus for turning the direction of the carrying apparatus, and accessories for controlling the operation of the carrying apparatus.

United States Patent Matsumoto et a1.

[ Feb. 29,1972

[54] AUTOMATIC CARRYlNG SYSTEM [72] Inventors: Mikio Matsumoto, Ashiya-shi, Hyogo-ken;

Kenji Terada, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka; Mitsuru Matsunaga, Neyagawa-shi, Osaka, all

of Japan [73] Assignee: The Tsuhakimoto Chain Mfg. Co., Ltd.,

Osaka, Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 21, 1968 [21] App1.No 769,320

Primary ExaminerDrayton E. Hoffman Assistant Examiner-George H. Libman Att0rneyWenderoth, Lind & Ponack [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 0a. 31, 1967 Japan ..42/69578 [571 ABSTRACT An automatic carrying system for carrying loads from any [52] US. Cl ..104/149, 104/94, 104/98, I place to any location along particular f d n provided 104/132 with power supply lines. This system includes an automatic [51] Int. Cl ..B6lb 3/02 carrying appmams adapted to run on the fail with loads to be Field oiiearch n10441.13, 94548296, 98, 102, conveyed, a Section control apparatus for controlling the 10 l 29 21 27 operation of the carrying apparatus so as not to permit the successive carrying apparatus to c011ide each other, a branching and joining apparatus for the carrying apparatus, a [56] References Cited turnab1e directioning apparatus for turning the direction of UNITED STATES PATENTS the carrying apparatus, and accessories for controlling the operation of the carrying apparatus. 2,509,788 5/1950 Smith ..104/48 2,902,945 9/1959 Simon ..104/153 X 3 Claims, 54 Drawing Figures PAIENIEDFEMQIWAZI 1 3.646.613

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1. An automatic carrying system comprising: rail means divided into a plurality of sections each having a segment of power supply line provided therein and extending therealong; at least one automatic carrying apparatus movable along said rail means and having wheels driven by an electrically operated mover and including various instruction detectors; a plurality of instruction devices disposed at predetermined positions along said rail means for individually applying various instructions to said instruction detectors of said automatic carrying apparatus when said automatic carrying apparatus approaches any of said instruction devices, in order to control automatically starting and stopping, and speed and direction of movement of said automatic carrying apparatus; and a plurality of section control devices coupled respectively to said segments of power supply lines of said rail sections, each of said section control devices being assembled as a unit, and each of said section control units comprising: a first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh terminal members, said third terminal member being connected to the segment of power supply line of the associated rail section, said seventh terminal member being connected to a source of electric power; a detector provided at the entry end of the associated section; a first relay means responsive to said detector and including a normally open switch having its one contact connected to the ground and a single-pole double-throw switch having its stationary contacts connected respectively to said first and second terminal members and having its movable contact normally connected electrically to said second terminal; a second relay means including a normally closed switch having its stationary contact connected to the movable contact of said single-pole double-throw switch of said first relay means and having its movable contact connected to the ground, said second relay means having a first input adapted, when grounded, to open said normally closed switch of said second relay means and a second input adapted, when grounded, to return said switch of said second relay means to the closed state; time delay means having one end connected to said first iNput of said second relay means and the other end connected to the other contact of said normally open switch of said first relay means, said second input of said second relay means being connected to said fifth terminal member; and a third relay means including a second single-pole double-throw switch having its stationary contacts connected respectively to said third and fourth terminal members and having its movable contact which is connected at its one end to said seventh terminal member and has the other rockable end which is connected electrically to said third terminal member when said third relay means is in energized condition, and said third relay means being adapted to be energized when said sixth terminal member is grounded; said section control units being connected in a consecutive fashion, and the first and second terminal members of each section control unit being connected respectively to the fifth and sixth terminal members of the section control unit associated with the immediately preceding rail section, so that said sixth terminal member of any section control unit is normally grounded to keep the third relay means of that section control unit energized thereby to supply electric power to the segment of power supply line of the associated rail section, whereby when the automatic carrying apparatus enters from a first rail section to an adjacent second rail section, supply of electric power to the segment of power supply line of said first rail section is automatically switched off, and when the automatic carrying apparatus further proceeds from the second rail section into a next adjacent third rail section, supply of electric power to the segment of power supply line of said second rail section is automatically switched off while supply of electric power to the segment of said first rail section is automatically switched on.
 2. An automatic carrying system according to claim 1 wherein each of said section control units has a capacitor having a capacitance large enough to store sufficient electric charge to actuate said first and second relay means and adapted to discharge its electric charge through a predetermined time period upon failure of the main power supply, whereby even if supply of electric power is switched on after failure of the main power supply while the automatic carrying apparatus is forced to enter from the first rail section to the second rail section due to its inertia, said first and second relay means are actuated so as to insure that electric power is not supplied to the segment of power supply line of said first rail section so long as the second input of said second relay means associated with said second rail section is not activated.
 3. An automatic carrying system according to claim 1 wherein each of said section control units further comprises a low-speed instruction device for supplying an instruction to reduce the speed of the automatic carrying apparatus when it passes over the low-speed instruction device, the low-speed instruction device of the section control unit associated with a first rail section being connected to the fourth terminal member of the section control unit associated with a next succeeding second rail section, whereby, when the automatic carrying apparatus approaches the low-speed instruction device belonging to the first rail section, the speed thereof is reduced so that it can be stopped smoothly or with less shock when it runs into said second rail section. 